The Gaekku School Mysteries
by hybrid3690
Summary: Inshinaba Town. A scenic small town, very peaceful. That is, until a certain mystery comes about. I just can't resist the temptation to investigate. And I need friends to help me.
1. Chapter 1

Hi! I'm Ryan!

Am I having a hard life? Yeah, you could say that.

I've spent two days on the bullet train already. Just two more days left 'till my destination. Just great. This train has all you need: Soft velvet seats, a two beds in each compartment, a snack bar up front, and of course the whole train, except the observation deck, has to be air-conditioned. I hate this train.

Lia, my little sister that's two years younger than me, was napping on my lap, sucking her thumb as if it were the best-tasting thing since chocolate. Honestly, I don't think her 'cuteness' is artificial. She's just naturally…cute. Her hair was tight back into her pony tail and her legs would shift around every minute or so, as if trying to find the comfiest position. In other words, my sister is the best one ever.

I stared at the scenery outside my window. Giant, snow-capped mountains. Lush, green meadows. A field of flowers which must have been _really _aromatic. Landscape after landscape flashed, like PowerPoint slides, except in slow motion.

**-Two Days Later-**

"Welcome to Ishinaba Town. Passengers whom are transiting to the Garana line, please alight at the next stop. Thank you." A robotic woman's voice announced. Lia and I grabbed our luggage and rolled it to the exit.

A man voice yelled from the right of the train station exit. "Hey! Over here! Hey!" A normal man in his forties dashed up to us and said, "I've been expecting you two! Ryan and Lia, right? Yeah, your mom's my elder sister. I hope you get used to this town. This must be pretty shocking to you two. So little to see in this town, but so much to explore." _Are you kidding? I love this place! _I thought.

"Anyways," he continued, "I hope you get used to the both of us, too."

"Wait, there's someone else?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, yeah. Meet Kishi. My daughter. Come out, Kishi!" A little girl, couldn't be older than 6, peeked out from behind my uncle's leg. "He….Hello…" She mumbled nervously. "Hi!" Lia crouched down, and spread her arms, inviting the little child to embrace her. Kishi immediately ran into her arms and smiled. Then, after letting go of Lia, Kishi ran up to me and planted a kiss on my cheek. My uncle chuckled.

We took his car to his house. Not a very fancy house, but I could tell it was really old. I stood on a sloping road. Typical Japanese house. When we stepped inside the house, I wasn't expecting any electrical device in there, much less a fridge. The PS3 and the TV _definitely _looked out of place. I spotted a mat rolled out smack in the middle of the sitting room, and a coffee table, big enough for four to dine. "Sweet place!" I told my uncle.

"Sorry we don't have much to offer. I know you kids have many electrical things in your house back in the city." My uncle told us, with a very sad face.

"Are you kidding? I love this house!" Lia and I said in harmony.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright, I'll need you two to help me out a little today. I'm going for a while to Inaba, to solve a little crime case. I'm a detective, you two should know, so I'll be travelling around. Be it in Garana or outside the borders, I'll be solving fantastic crime cases."

"And also, instead of calling me by my first name, just call me Uncle. Lets forget the formalities, shall we?" Uncle said. Lia and I both nodded our heads.

"Wow! A detective! I've always wanted to be one!" Lia exclaimed.

"Sometimes… Crime cases are not such a pretty sight…" Uncle muttered mysteriously before leaving the house. He took a leather briefcase with him as he left. When we heard the distinct crunching of tires rolling against gravel as Uncle's black Mitsubishi we saw earlier left the driveway. That left me, Lia and Kishi in the house. I remember my mother texting me, saying that my school term would start a week after I reached Garana. That was quite a lot of time.

I pulled a box of Skittles that I had brought from the city and popped one into my mouth. When Kishi, who was standing beside me, her eyes shone like gemstones and she pulled the box of Skittles towards herself.

"You want one?" I asked her, smiling. She was a sweet girl. She nodded her head and so I gave her a purple-colored one. She sat on the floor and grinned as she enjoyed the flavor of the sweet spread over her tongue.

"Hey Ryan, I saw a bookstore opposite the lane in front of this house. Can we go there? Please?" Her eyes shone as brightly as Kishi's.

"Um… I don't think we should leave the hou-" I began, but Lia beat me there.

"Oh! Pretty please?" She batted her eyelids. At last I couldn't resist it and I brought both the girl to the bookstore.

It wasn't honestly a very large bookstore, like the ones we had in the city. Neither was it a hygienic one. Paper cups and plastic wrap littered the floor. The store smelt of fresh fish, and the shelves were grimy.

Lia began picking some of the books from the shelves and flipping through them. I knew she was an avid reader. So am I. I lifted Kishi up upon my shoulders so she could get a better view of the store. She screamed with delight.

"Shhh…" hushed the bookstore owner. Kishi was getting less shy now. It was only the first day I met her, the six year old, and she had started to grow on me.

Kishi covered my eyes with her hands. "Argh!" I yelled. She giggled with laughter. Just then, through the dark space she had created in front of my eyes using her hands, I say a ray of destiny (you could also call it a gap between her fingers) that revealed to me a book. A sole book. Once Kishi had uncovered my eyes, I picked the book out from the shelf. It had a sleek, dark blue leather cover, with gold words embossed on it. But the thing that shocked me the most was this: beautiful patterns of different vines and leaves and flowers sprouted from where my finger met the book. I was very, very exhilarated.

"Lia! Lia! Come look!" She hurried over to me from the 'Comedy' section of the story and came to watch my trick. I slid my finger over the book and watched as hibiscuses and orchids bloomed on the cover. Lia, however, stared at the book blankly. "Look at what?" She asked.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Don't you see it?" I asked her.

"Bro, I know you have a very imaginative mind." She nodded her head and walked back to the 'Comedy' section.

I read the cover of the book.

The Flora and Fauna of Garana

The Treasury Of A Single Story

All in all, I don't think the title made quite a lot of sense. 'The Treasury Of A Single Story'? That didn't make quite a lot of sense to me. However, I walked over to the cashier to pay for the book, with the money that mother had given to us to spend. Lia also paid for her own Japanese comic book. 'Kawaii', the word for 'adorable' in Japanese, girls were crowded on the pages of the comics. Kishi didn't seem so interested in books, so she didn't ask us to buy any for her.

Then we walked back home to rest.


End file.
